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Common Occult Countermeasures
Common Occult Countermeasures When dealing with supernatural entities, nothing is certain—each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. What works against one may not work against another. However, there are some things that every canny monster hunter should keep a ready supply of, or at least awareness of, for his own safety: ' ' Sunlight and Sunrise Whether related to the faith and confidence of a planetful of mortals who look for the sun every day for life, or some sort of magical quasi-physical interference generated by having a giant thermonuclear reaction hanging in the sky, sunlight has a strong effect on many spiritual entities. It strikes Red Court vampires like a physical blow, can vaporize Black Court vampires, can disintegrate spirit entities, or drive the lesser fae insane. While it doesn’t seem to interfere much with human magic (other than that sunrises degrade enchantments), many supernatural beings cannot work funky mojo during the day. (And if you’re lucky enough to be a wizard able to fold up sunlight into a clean hanky, it might be a good idea to stock up.) ' ' Fire Fire is the Biblical Cleanser. It is usually quite effective against a wide-range of nasties, discommoding, injuring, or destroying them. Note that some mystical defenses can distinguish between magical and mundane fire, so caveat evocator! ' ' Running Water Running water grounds out— some say “washes away”—magical energies. It can short out a demon’s construct body or keep a sorcerer from throwing spells. It may even be able to block the pursuit of a Black Court vampire. ' ' Salt Salt purifies. A line of salt can make a very credible magic circle. A shotgun loaded with rock salt can disrupt a construct body better than a shell full of lead pellets or BBs. ' ' Iron Though of particular use against the fae, a big ol’ rusty pipe wrench to the brainpan is always a fantastic way to say, “Hello, please stop gnawing on my foot.” ' ' Magic While some critters are magic-resistant, most of them are just as vulnerable to spellcraft as the average mortal. ' ' Holy Objects and Faith While usually kind of “iffy,” no one can deny the utility of a fifty gallon drum of holy water against a plethora of nasties. Prayer shawls, beads, mats; bell, book, and candle; cross, crescent, Star of David, pentacle, Thor’s Hammer; a big old Bible/Vedas/Sutras/ Talmud/Koran; almost any sort of religious item, when held by a true believer, can really help out. But that’s the rub: while a few objects retain an aura of faith power in and of themselves (like holy water, a saint’s relic, that sort of thing), most only focus and enhance the inherent faith of the person. If said person doesn’t believe in the power represented by the object, it will have no effect. The flagship items in this vein are the Swords—Amoracchius, Esperacchius, and Fidelacchius—which magnify the faith of their wielders a thousandfold. ' ' Thresholds The “boundary” around a private living space, especially a home, which protects those inside it. It does this by serving as a sort of shield—if someone or something magical breaches that shield without the permission of a person who lives there, he (or it) is forced to leave a great percentage of his power outside the threshold. Magic Circles A circle drawn or constructed— salt or a metallic ring both work ''extremely ''well—that when “closed” (with a drop of blood and directed intent) provides a shield against magical forces.